Politics over ex-serviceman's suicide: Rahul Gandhi detained, released

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An ex-serviceman's alleged suicide+ over the non-implementation of the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme triggered a political row today, with Rahul Gandhi and Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia being detained+ when they rushed to hospital in Delhi to meet the kin of the serviceman. Then, police detained even the former jawan's family.
Rahul Gandhi was stopped close to the gates of the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here when he went to meet the family of the victim Ram Kishan Grewal. He was then detained at the Mandir Marg police station.
However, Rahul Gandhi was released from Mandir Marg Police station (Delhi) after being detained for a while.
"I don't have anything to say, police will do what it has to for risk reduction," Union home minister Rajnath Singh said on Rahul Gandhi's detention

https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/793745082436296704

Delhi Deputy CM Sisodia was detained outside the hospital.
The Joint Commissioner of Police, Deependra Pathak said the detentions were made to control the situation.

https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/793752861343485953

The Congress and AAP launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the OROP issue.
Rahul wondered whether this is how democracy should work. "This is a particular type of mentality, now, they don't believe in democracy... This is the new India in the making," Rahul told the media after he was stopped at the gates of the RML Hospital in Delhi this afternoon.
"I urge the PM once again: soldiers should not have to struggle to claim what is their due. OROP must be implemented in a meaningful way+ ! My heartfelt condolences to the family of Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal. Extremely sad to learn of his death," he tweeted.
The 70-year-old ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal from Haryana's Bhiwani district ended his life yesterday by consuming poison on the lawns behind a government building in Janpath, the central area of the capital.
Grewal, who was a familiar face of OROP agitation, left behind a suicide note, his son said.
Police said he along with three of his companions had come to the city apparently to submit a memorandum to the Defence Ministry over the issue of OROP. However, defence ministry sources said as per records, no request for appointment with Parrikar was made.
Slamming the Prime Minister and BJP on OROP, the Delhi Chief Minister said Modi was "lying" when he said OROP was implemented and termed it as a "major deceit" with the veterans.
"He is lying to the entire country. If it was implemented then why Ram Kishan had to commit suicide? The extent of the deceit of the BJP government over the issue, don't think it has happened before. The army is being deceived and misused for political gains. His martyrdom should not go in vain," the Delhi Chief Minister said.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said he was saddened over the death of Grewal.
"Saddened by the death of subedar Ram Kishen Grewal. I express my heartfelt condolences. I have asked officials to provide me with details," Parrikar said in a tweet.

According to his friends, Grewal, who served in the Army and the Defence Security Corps for 30 years, had been upset over the issue for sometime.
Defence Ministry sources said as per records, no request for appointment with Parrikar was made. Grewal's son Jaswant urged the Modi Government to look into the matter.

"My father sacrificed for the nation. He was demanding the One Rank, One Pension. The Modi Government should think about this," he said.
OROP scheme has been a long-standing demand of nearly three-million ex-servicemen and war widows in the country. It seeks to ensure that a uniform pension is paid to defence personnel, who retire at the same rank with the same length of service irrespective of their date of retirement.
 
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